Cover trimming machine



June 1935. c. e. BROSTROM 2,003,338

COVER TRIMMING MACHINE Filed Feb. 15, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet l June 4, 1935. G, BROSTROM 2,003,338

COVER TRIMMING MACHINF' Filed Feb. 15, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 4, 1935. c. s, BROSTROM COVER TRIMMING MACHINE Filed Feb. 15, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented June 4, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 COVER TRIMMING MACHINE Charles G. Brostrom, Lynn, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application February 15, 1932, Serial No. 593,053

34 Claims.

This invention relates to trimming machines and is illustrated as embodied in a machine for skiving covers applied to work pieces.

The illustrated machine is described with reference to the skiving of the marginal portions of covers which have been applied to wood heels, such for example as those applied to womens shoes. In the manufacture of such heels it is a common practice to cover the rear and the sides of the heels with a single piece of covering material which extends beyond the heel and is often referred to as a side cover and then to turn and to secure the portions of the side cover extending beyond the breast and the attaching faces of the heel upon these faces respectively.

Before applying the heel to the shoe, it is customary for the operator to skive by the use of a hand knife the marginal portions of the side cover which are inturned upon and are secured to the breast and attaching faces of the heel. When the marginal portions of the cover are skived in this manner, they merge with the breast and the attaching faces of the heel respectively. Moreover, during this skiving operation the smooth grain surface of the cover is removed and rough sectional surfaces of the marginal portion of the cover are provided, this feature being desirable since it facilitates the adhesive'securing of the heel to the shoe and also forms a surface upon which the breast cover may be effectively cemented.

The hand skiving operation is slow as well as unsatisfactory since a hand knife has a tendency to penetrate too deeply into the marginal portions of the cover upon the breast and the attaching faces of the heel, such tendency often resulting in cutting the entire width of the marginal portion of the cover and leaving a portion of the uncovered heel exposed at the rim of the attaching face of the heel or at one of the breast corners of the heel. A defect of this character will show in the finished shoe and necessitates the recovering of the he. The above-mentioned defects inherent in hand skiving have been overcome by providing skiving machines of the type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,834,139 granted December 1, 1931 on my application and in my copending application for United States Letters Patent Serial No. 462,653, filed June 20, 1930.

The illustrated machine, like machin s of the type disclosed in the above-identified Letters Patent and application, is provided with a flexible cutter movable lengthwise of its cutting edge, but the present machine, in accordance with a feature of the invention, is provided with mechanism for engaging the cutter atspaced points to form an intermediate free or non-tensioned loop portion of the cutter, and gaging means for positioning a heel upon which a cover has been laid and for guiding the same past the loop portion to trim the'cover. By utilizing a cutter having a free or non-tensioned loop portion which conforms to various shapes of concavities of Work pieces, covers laid upon such concavities can be quickly and effectively skived as the Work pieces are pressed against the loop portion.

The illustrated gage which positions the work piece relatively to the free loop portion of the cutter, in accordance with another feature of the invention, comprises a support or table having a slot through which the loop passesand provided with a face beyond which a convex portion of the loop extends and constructed and arranged to engage a portion of one face of the work piece, the cover of which is to be skived. In orderto position the work piece upon the face of the table, and in accordance with a further feature of the invention, the illustrated gage comprises a side gage positioned adjacent to the table, the above mentioned face and the side gage being constructed and arranged to engage angularly disposed portions of the work piece accurately to position the same relatively to the free loop portion of the cutter to skive the cover of "the work piece.

The illustrated machineis described with special reference to the skiving of the marginal portion of a side cover upon the attaching face of a heel, the heel being positioned by engaging the rim of the attaching face with the above-mentioned face of the table and the side of the heel adjacent to said rim with the side gage. In accordance with a feature of the invention the illustrated mechanism for flexing the cutter to form the free loop is constructed and arranged to change the curvature of the free loop projecting beyond the face of the table to approximate the concavity of the attaching face of the heel, the loop being deformable under pressure of the 'heel to conform more exactly to the attaching face of the heel. A deformable cutter is especially useful where the radius of ,curvature of the concavity upon which the marginal portion of the cover is laid varies since it enables the operator. by slightly pressing against the freeloop portion of the cutter to cause the curvature of the loop to change according to the curvature of the surface upon which the cover to be skived is laid. The projection of the loop beyond the heel engaging face of the table may, in accordance with.

another feature of the invention, be varied, as by moving the cutter lengthwise of itself to raise the loop relatively to the table or by mounting the table for adjustment relatively to the cutter.

In order automatically to maintain a constant maximum projection of the loop beyond the heel engaging face of the table as the curvature of the loop is varied the illustrated machine, in accordance with a further feature of the invention, is provided with toggle arms which raise the free loop portion of the cutter as a whole as members;

which engage the cutter at spaced points to form the free loop, vary the curvature of the same.

These and other features of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front View of the illustrated. machine, portions of which have been broken away to show more clearly certain operating parts thereof;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view which is taken along line II-II of Fig. 1 and illustrates in detail knife shaping rollers;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a band knife controlling member taken along line III-III of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the lower portion of th illustrated machine taken along line IVIV of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is an end view of the lower part of a 7 portion of the machine;

Fig. 6 is an end view of a portion of the rear part of the machine and illustrating mechanism for operating a grinder;

Fig. 7 shows a front view of a modified form of machine;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of Fig. 7

Fig. 9 shows a plan view of a heel supporting table through which the band knife passes; and

Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing the position of a heel in relation to the trimming'and positioning instrumentalities of the machine during the heel cover skiving operation.

The illustrated machine is described with reference to its operation upon the marginal portion of a heel side cover 22 (Fig. 10), which has been inturned upon the concave attaching face 24 of a wood heel 26, to skive the marginal portion 20 and comprises a band knife or cutter 28 mounted upon lower and upper drums 30, 32, respectively, and a pair of knife shaping rollers 34 (Figs. 1 and 2) 35 (Figs. 7 and 8) arranged to engage the knife 28 at spaced points to form a curved bend or free loop portion 39 which is free from lengthwise tension or draft and having the generalcurvature of the concave attaching face 24 of the heel.

The curved bend or free loop portion 36 is readily deformable under pressure of the heel during the skiving operation to conform to the curvature of the attaching face 24, the rim 3B of the attaching face 24 of the heel being rested against the under surface 40 of a support or table 42 and the sides or the rear portion of the heel adjacent to the rim 38 of the attaching face 24 of the heel being moved into engagement with a side gage 44.

To perform the skiving operation the heel is turned by the operator in a clockwise direction such as indicated by reference numeral 4t (Fig. 10), the trimming cut starting adjacent to one upper breast corner 48 and terminating at the other breast corner 50.

" The above-mentioned heel cover trimming and heel positioning instrumentalities are supported upon a frame 52 secured to a base plate (not shown) and having a boss 54 serving as a bearing for a drive shaft 56 to which is keyed the driving drum 30. The drive shaft 56 may be operated directly by a pulley 58 such as illustrated in Fig. l or through a bevel gear 60 (Fig. 7) mounted upon a spline shaft 62 such as shown in the modified construction.. The shaft 62 is driven through a bevel gear 64 which meshes with another gear 66 connected to a drive shaft 58.

The upper part of the frame is provided with a guideway 70 for a block 12 constructed and arranged to support the upper drum 32, the block 12 being adjustable to different positions along the guideway 10 to vary the position of the bend portion 36 of the knife 28 relatively to the sup port 42 and also to adjust the knife so that the portion it of the lower suspended length between the drums 30, 32 will not engage the drum 30, it being found by experience that when the portion i6 of the knife engages the drum 3B, the bend portion 36 of the knife 28 will not operate effectively. This adjustment is effected by a screw in threaded relation with the block I2 and journaled for rotation in the frame of the machine. The block I2 may be conveniently adjusted to different positions along the -guideway '18 by turning a knurled head 82 of the screw 80.

In order to enable the operator to sharpen the knife 20, the machine is provided with a rotary grinder 84 mounted upon a shaft 86 journaled in a slide 80 (Fig. 6) which is supported for adjustment in the main frame toward and away from the knife 28. The slide 88 may be conveniently 1.

moved by turning a hand screw 90 which is in threaded relation with the slide 88 and is mounted for rotation in the machine frame.

The upper suspended portion 92 of the knife is supported against the grinder 84 by a pair of rollers 94 and 06 (Fig. 1) or by a single roll 98 (Fig. 6).

The grinder 84 is driven by a pulley I00 keyed to the shaft and secured for rotation through a belt I02 with a pulley I04 (Fig. 6) mounted upon a shaft I05 journaled in an arm I05 which is pivotally mounted on a shaft I08 supported on an extension III) of the main frame. Upon the shaft I08 is mounted a pulley II2 connected to a pulley II 3 upon the shaft I05 by a belt H4 and driven through pulleys I I6 which are constructed and arranged to receive a belt I I8 connected to a source of power.

To insure the proper arc of driving contact of the knife 23 upon the drum 30, the machine comprises a lever I20 pivoted on a boss of the main frame I22 and carrying at one end a roller E24 arranged to press the knife 28 against the driving face I25 of the drum 30 and having its other end secured to a spring !28 in order that the roller I24 will be normally urged against the driving face I26 of the drum 30. The tension with which spring I28 pulls the lever I20 may be varied by a hand nut I30 which is rotatably mounted in the machine frame and is in threaded relationship with a screw I32 attachedto the spring I 28.

In order to shape the free loop or bend portion 35 of the knife 20 to the general curvature of the concave attaching face 24 of the heel, the machine is provided wth the above-referred-to knife shaping rollers 34 (Figs. 1 and 2) and 35 (Figs. '7 and 8). In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, one set of rollers 34 is mounted upon the inner end of each of two opposed U-shaped slides I34 which are mount'ed for sliding adjustment upon T-shaped guideways I36 (Fig. 5) secured to the main frame. The U-shaped slides I34 may I34 comprises a stepped stud I42 screwed into the U-shaped slide I34 and arranged to support a block M4 upon which a bracket I46 having an elongated block-receiving recess I48 and carrying a roller 5% is mounted for sliding movement. The stud I42 also carries a roller I52 which cooperates with the roller I50 in guiding the knife 28, the roller I59 being normally urged againstthe roller I52 by a spring I54 held within a bore of the bracket by a screw I56.

In order to support and to guide the portion of the knife 28 included between the drums 3!], 32 and the knife shaping rollers 34, the machine (Fig. l) is provided with guide roller I53 and a guide member IEiIl. The guide roller I58 is adapted to engage the inside face of the knife 28 and is supported upon a slide I62 mounted for adjustment within a dove-tail slideway in the left U-shaped slide I34. Adjustment of the roller IE8 is effected by a screw I64 supported for rotation in the U-shaped slide I34 and in threaded relation with the slide I52.

It will be noted that as the knife 28 is rapidly rotated th re a tendencyfor the length of knife which is positioned adjacent to the guide roller I55, to be slightly bowed toward the guide roller. Because of the combined action of the drum 3%, the racing effect of the guide roller I58 and the relative positioning of the rollers 34 with respect to the drum 32, the knife is pushed through the left set of rollers with sufiicient force to maintain substantially zero tension in the free loop or bend portion 35. With such an arrangement it is possible to provide a sharply curved loop portion 36 and to run the cutter at a high rate of speed without the danger of the knife breaking. Moreover, when the free loop is formed as above described such loop can be readily deformed under pressure of the work.

The guide member Iiiil (Fig. 3) which serves properly to support the cutter with relation to the knife shaping rollers 34 and to position the suspended portion IG of the knife to avoid contact with the drum 3'3 comprises a pair of rollers IE I63 (Fig. 3) constructed and arranged to engage the opposite sides of the knife, the roller I68 beingsupported on abracket I'IO pivoted for angular adjustment upon a slide I12. The bracket III is provided with a recess I I4 shaped to receive a plunger I16 in threaded relation with a stud I38 and upon which the roller I53 is mounted, the arrangement being such that the roller' I is normally forced toward the roller ISB'by a spring I86, one end of which engages the plunger I76 the other end of which engages a screw I82 carried by the bracket I72. The bracket I10 may be angularly adjusted relatively to the slide I12 by a set screw I8 3 which is in threaded relation with the slide H2 and passes through an arcuateslot I86 '(Fig. l) in the bracket HQ. The slide I72 is mounted for adjustment toward. and away from the guide roll I58 along a dove-tail guideway I38 (Fig. 5) in the right U-shaped slide I34, such adjustment being effected by a screw I90.

" The illustrated support or gage 42 (Figs. 9 and 10) is provided with the flat lower face 46 and has a. slot I92 (Fig. 9) extending therethrough and constructed and arranged to receive the low or part ofthe bend or free loop portion 85 of the knife which extends below the lower face 49 of the support when the machine is properly adjusted to perform the trimming operation.

In order to support and to adjust the side gage 44 relatively to the support 42, the side gage 4 1 is provided with a screw I94 which passes through a bifurcated portion I98 of the support and carries a hand nut I 538. The support 42 and the side gage 44 are supported upon a rod 222 carried by an angle arm 222 which is adjustably secured for heightwise movement with reference to the right U-shaped slide I34 by a hand nut 294 in threaded relation with a screw 2% and arranged within a cylindrical opening formed in a pair of cars 238 projecting from the U-shaped slide I35. The angle arm 252 is held against turning movement around the screw 226 by a pin 2H] secured to the angle arm 262 and passing through an opening in a projection 252 of the U- shaped slide I34. In order conveniently to change the shape of the portion of the band knife extending beyond the face. 45 of the support :32, the support may be pivotally adjusted about the rod 222 by turning a pair of opopsed screws 2i4 rotatably mounted upon the angle arm 292 and adapted to engage the opposite sides of a depending arm 2I 6 of the support 42.

In order to protect the operator and to keep portions of the operating mechanism clean, the machine may be provided with a door 2|! which is mounted upon a pin -2I9 carried by trunnions 22! of the main frame.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. '7, the machine is so constructed that when the knife shaping rollers 35, which are similar in construction to the rollers 34 of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1, are moved toward and away from each other to vary the shape of the bend portion 35 of the knife, the knife will be raised or lowered as a whole relatively to the support 42 thereby to maintain a substantially constant maximum projection of the knife beyond the work engaging surface 40 of the support as the curvature of the bend portion of the knife changed. Accordingly, in this construction the frame 2I8, which carries the drums 30 and 32, instead of being rigidly connected to the base of the machine, is mounted for vertical adjustment along a slideway 228 of the main frame. The movable frame 2I8 may be vertically adjusted by toggle arrangement comprising upper arms 222 mountedupon a screw secured to the frame 2I8. To the-lower end portion of each of the upper arms 222 is secured a stud I42 (Fig. 8) which is substantially similar to a corresponding stud of the machine illustrated in Fig. l. The stud I42 is elongated and has a block portion 226 corresponding to the block I42 and'a cylindrical portion 22? adapted to receive a bore at the upper end of each of arms 22B andthus to permit relative movement of the arms 222 and 228 through mechanism 3 which will soon be described. The other portions of theknife shaping rollers 35 (Fig. 7) are substantially similar to the rollers 34 (Fig. 1)

already described.

In order to adjust the knife shaping rollers 35 (Fig. 7) toward and from each other, the machine is provided with a crank 232 which rotates a bevel gear 234 arranged to mesh with a bevel gear 236 located at the bottom portion of a sleeve 238 which is rotatably mounted in the main frame and has an upper portion 240 which is in threaded relation with a boss portion 242 of the movable frame M8.

The support 42 illustrated in Fig. 7 is mounted for pivotal adjustment about a pin 244 and may be set at different angular positions relatively to the bend portion 36 of the knife 28 by turning screws 246 rotatably mounted on an angle arm 248. The angle arm 248 may be vertically adjusted by means of a hand nut 250 which is in threaded relation with a screw 252 secured to the angle arm 248 and passing through an opening formed in projections 254 of a plate 256. The angle arm 248 is held from turning about the screw 252 by a pin 253 secured to the angle arm and passing through an opening in a boss portion 266 of the plate 256. The plate 256 is provided with elongated slots 262 in order to permit horizontal adjustment of the same.

In the construction illustrated in Fig. 7 the grinder mechanism and means for driving the same are fixed to the movable frame 213 in order that they may be adjusted together with the knife 28.

In order to trim the inturned marginal portion 25 of a side cover upon the attaching face 24 of a heel, the shape of the bend portion 36 of the cutter 28 is changed to approximate the curvature of the attaching face of the heel by adjusting through the above-described mechanism the cutter shaping rollers 34 (Fig. 1) 35 (Fig. 7), after which the table 42 is vertically adjusted to provide for the maximum allowable projection of the cutter beyond the face 43 of the table 42. It may also be desirable pivotally to adjust the table e2 relatively to the bend portion 36 of the cutter in order to tilt the same as illustrated in Fig. l in order to insure that the cutter will clear the marginal portion of the cover opposite to that being skived. The side gage 44 is then adjusted, after which the operator presents the heel to the cutter, the rim 38 of the attaching face 24 of the heel resting against the face 40 of the support and the side of the heel adjacent to the rim 38 engaging the side gage 44. The trimming cut is then started at the breast corner and progresses to the corner 50 as the operator turns the heel in the direction indicated by arrow 46. I

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A trimming machine having, in combination, a band knife, means constructed and arranged to engage the knife at spaced points to form between said points of engagement an intermediate curved trimming portion which is substantially free from lengthwise tension and is constructed and arranged to trim a portion of a cover laid upon a heel, a gage for positioning the heel lengthwise of the trimming portion of the knife, and a support having a heel-engaging face beyond which said trimming portion projects, the support being constructed and arranged to limit movement of the heel toward said trimming portion and to serve as a rest upon which the heel in engagement with said gage is moved to guide the cover laid upon the heel past said trimming portion.

2. A trimming machine having, in combination, a band knife, means constructed and arranged to engage the knife at spaced portions to form an intermediate curved trimming portion of the knife which is substantially free from draft and is constructed and arranged to trim a portion of a cover laid upon a heel, and a gage constructed and arranged to position the heel relatively to the knife during the trimming operation, said portion of the knife being readily deformable under pressure of the heel as the heel positioned by the gage is moved past the knife.

3. A trimming machine having, in combination, a band knife, means to engage the band knife at spaced points to form an intermediate sharply curved trimming portion of the knife which is substantially freefrom draft and is constructed and arranged to trim a portion of a cover laid upon a face of a heel, and a gage to position the heel relatively to the trimming portion of the knife, said portion of the knife being unsupported against deformation of its cutting edge under pressure of the heel to permit the knife to conform to said face of the heel.

4. A trimming machine having in combination, a cutter comprising a free loop, and a support having a slot through which the free loop passes and constructed and arranged to engage a. face of a work piece to which a cover is secured, said free loop being shaped and arranged to skive the cover.

5. A trimming machine having in combination a cutter comprising a free loop, a support having a slot through which the free loop passes and constructed and arranged to engage a face of a work piece to which a cover is secured, and a gage to engage another face of the work piece and cooperating with the table in positioning the work piece relatively to the cutter, said free loop being shaped and arranged to skive the cover of the heel positioned by the support and the table.

6. A trimming machine having in combination, a cutter comprising a free loop shaped to approximate the concavity of the attaching face of a heel, and a table beyond which the free loop projects constructed and arranged to position the heel to which a cover is secured, said loop being deformable under pressure of the heel to conform more exactly to the attaching face of the heel and to trim portions of the cover.

'7. A trimming machine having, in combination, a band cutter, means to engage the cutter at spaced points to form a sharply curved intermediate loop portion of the cutter substantially free from draft and constructed and arranged readily to conform to a concave face of a heel and to skive the marginal portion of a heel cover inturned upon and secured to said concave face of the heel, and a gage provided with a heelengaging face toward which the loop may be flexed under pressure of the heel and constructed and arranged for engagement with the heel to guide the same past the loop thereby to skive said marginal portion of the cover.

8. A trimming machine having, in combination, a band knife having a free loop portion which is substantially free from draft and is constructed and arranged to skive a marginal portion of a heel side cover inturned upon and secured to the attaching face of a heel, and a gage constructed and arranged to guide the heel past the free loop portion to skive said cover.

9. A trimming machine having, in combination, a band cutter provided with a curved portion which is substantially free from draft and has the general curvature of a concave face of a heel presented to the machine, said portion being constructed and arranged to skive a heel cover attached to said face and also readily to yield under pressure of the heel as the heel is moved past the portion in order to cause the cutter to conform substantially to the curvature of the face of the heel, and means comprising angularly arranged surfaces constructed and arranged to guide the heel past the curved portion when said portion is flexed by the heel thereby to skive said cover.

10. A trimming machine having, in combination, a band cutter comprising a floating bend portion, and a support having a face beyond which the bend portion of the cutter extends and constructed and arranged to position a work piece having a concave face to which a cover has been applied relatively to the bend portion, said cutter being constructed and arranged to skive the cover upon said face as the work piece positioned by the support is moved past the cutter.

11. A trimming machine having, in combination, a band cutter comprising a floating bend portion, and a support having an opening for receiving the bend portion and constructed and arranged to position a work piece having a concave face upon which a cover has been laid relatively to the curved portion of the cutter, said cutter being constructed and arranged to skive the cover upon said face as the work piece positioned by the support is moved past the cutter.

12. A trimming machine having, in combination, a band cutter, means to flex the cutter to form a floating bend portion thereof, and a support having a face beyond which the bend portion of the cutter extends and constructed and arranged to position a work piece having a concave face to which a cover has been applied relatively to the bend portion, said bend portion being constructed and arranged to yield under pressure of said work piece to conform approximately to said face as the work piece is pressed against said portionand to skive the cover upon said face as the work piece positioned by the support is moved past the cutter.

13. A trimming machine having, in combination, a cutter movable lengthwise of its cutting edge, mechanism to flex the cutter to form a loop portion which is substantially free from draft and is constructed and arranged to skive a cover laid upon a face of a work piece, said mechanism being adjustable to change the shape of the loop in accordance with the shape of the face of the work piece, and a gage which is provided with a face toward and away from which the loop portion may be flexed and which is constructed and arranged to engage said face of the work piece to guide the same past the loop.

14. A trimming machine having, incombination, a cutter movable lengthwise of its cutting edge, mechanism constructed and arranged to engage spaced portions of the cutter to form a sharply curved cutting portion, means'to pull the cutter at one of said points, and means to push the cutter at the other of said points thereby to provide substantially zero tension in the loop, and a gage constructed and arranged to guide a work piece upon which a cover has been laid relatively to the loop for skiving the cover.

15. A trimming machine having, in combination, a knife movable lengthwiseof its cutting edge, mechanism constructed and arranged to engage spaced portions of the knife'to provide a sharply curved cutting'part, means to pull the cutter at one of said spaced portions, and means to push the cutter at the other of said portions thereby providing substantially zero tension in the loop, and a gage constructed and arranged to guide a workpiece upon which a cover has been laid relatively to the'loop thereby to skive the 5 cover, said mechanism being mounted for adjustment to vary the shape of the loop according to the shape of said surface.

r 16. A trimming machine having, in combination, a band cutter, and mechanism to flex the cutter to form-a free loop constructed and arranged to skive the marginal portion of a side cover of a heel inturned upon the concave attaching face of the heel, said mechanism being constructed and arranged to vary the shape of said loop in accordance with the shape of the attaching face of the heel.

17. A trimming machine having, in combination, a band cutter comprising a sharply curved loop portion which is substantially free from lengthwise tension, and a gage beyond which the loop portion projects constructed and arranged to engage the rim of the attaching face of a heel, upon the attaching face of whichthe marginal portions of a side cover have been laid, to position the heel relatively to said loop portion, said portion being constructed and arranged to skive said marginal portions of the cover as the heel positioned by the gage is moved past the cutter.

18. A trimming machine having, in combination, a band cutter, mechanism to flex the cutter to form a free loop, and members constructed and arranged to engage a side of a heel and rim of v the attaching face of the heel upon whichithc marginal portions of a side cover have been in-.- turned to position the heel relatively to the loop to skive said inturned marginal portions of the cover as the heel is moved past the cutter.

19. A trimming machine having, in combination, a band cutter comprising a floating bend portion, and a support having a face beyond which the bend portion of the cutter extends and constructed and arranged to position a work piece having a concave face to which a cover has been applied relatively to the bend portion, said bend portion being constructed and arranged to skive the cover upon said face' as the work piece positioned by the support is moved past the cutter and said support being constructed and arranged for adjustment relatively to said bend portion to vary the extension of the cutter beyond the-support.

20. A trimming machine having, in combina tion, a band knife comprising a floating bend portion, a support beyond which the bend portion of the cutter extends and constructed and arranged to position a work piece having a concave face to which a cover has been applied'relatively to the bend portion, said cutter being constructed and arranged to-skive the cover upon said face as the work piece positioned by the support is moved past the cutter, and meansto adjust the band knife lengthwise to vary the amount of projection of the bend portion of the knife beyond said support. I p

21. A trimming machine having, in combination, a band cutter, means to flex the cutter to form a floating bend portion thereof, and a support provided with an opening for receiving the, bend portion and constructed and arranged to engage angularly disposed faces of a work piece having a concave face upon which a cover has been laid relatively to thebend portion of the cutter, said cutter being constructed and arranged to skive the cover upon said face as the work piece positioned by the support is 22. A trimming machine having, in combination, a band cutter comprising a floatingbend portion, and a support having a face beyond which the bend portion of the cutter extends mounted for angular adjustment relatively to the bendportion of the cutter to vary the shape of the bend portion extending beyond the face and constructed and arranged to position a work piece having a concave face to which the cover has been applied relatively t6 the bend portion, said bend portion being constructed and arranged to yield under pressure of the work piece to conform to said face as the workpiece is pressed against said portion and to skive the cover upon saidface as the work piece positioned by the support is moved past the cutter. I

23. A trimming machine having, in combination, a band cutter, means to flex the cutter to form a floating bend portion thereof, a gage having a face beyond which the bend portion of the cutter extends and constructed and arranged to position a work piece having a concave face to which a cover has been applied relatively to the bend portion, said bend portion being constructed and arranged to yield under the pressure of said work piece to conform to said face as the work piece is pressed against said portion and to skive the cover upon said face as the work piece positioned by the support is moved past the cutter, and means to move the cutter lengthwise to vary the amount of extension of the cutter beyond said face. 7

24. A trimming machine having, in combination, a band cutter comprising a free loop, a gage beyond which thefree loop projects constructed and arranged to position a work piece having a concave face to which a cover has been applied relatively to the free loop, said loop being constructed and arranged to skive the cover upon said concave face as the work piece positioned by the gage is moved past the cutter, and means to adjust the cutter lengthwise to vary the amount of projection of the cutter beyond said gage.

25. A trimming machine having, in combination, a cutter movable lengthwise of its, cutting edge, mechanism to flex the cutter to form a free loop constructed and arranged to skive a cover laid upon a face of a Work piece, a gage constructed and arrangedto position the work piece relatively to the loop, said loop being variable in accordance with the shape of the face of thework piece, and means constructed and arranged to move the free loop as a whole relatively to the gage when the shape of the loop is varied,

26. A trimming machine having, in combination, a band cutter, means constructed and arranged to engage spaced portions of the cutter to flex the same to form a floating bend portion thereof, a gage beyond which the'bend portion projects constructed and arranged to position a work piece having a face to which a cover has been applied relatively to said bend portion to skive the cover upon said face, and mechanism constructed and arranged to cause the bend portion to move as a whole to insure that said portion projects a substantially constant distance beyond the gage when the curvature of said bend portion is changed,

27. A trimming machine having, in combination, a band cutter, means constructed and arranged to engage spaced portions of the cutter to flex the same to form a floating bend portion thereof, a gage beyond which the bend portion projects having a recess constructed and arranged to receive said portion and shaped and arranged to position a heel having a face to which a cover has been applied relatively to the bend portion thereby to skive the portion upon said face, and mechanism constructed and arranged to move the bend portion as a whole to insure that the projection of said portion beyond the 'gage is substantially constant for varying curvatures of the bend portion.

28. A trimming machine having, in combination, a band cutter, members constructed and arranged to engage spaced portions of the cutter to flex the same to form a curved floating bend portion thereof to skive a cover secured to a Work piece, a gage having a surface beyond which the bend portion projects constructed and arranged to position the work piece relatively to said bend portion, and a pairv of toggles each carrying one of the members and constructed and arranged to move the bend portion of the cutter as a whole relatively to the gage as the members move to vary the curvature of the bend portion of the cutter thereby to insure that said portion of the cutter will project substantially a uniform distance beyond the gage.

'29. A trimming machine having, in combination, a band knife, members constructed and arranged to engage spaced portions of the knife to flex the same to form a curved floating loop constructed and arranged to skive a cover secured to a concave face of a heel, a gage having a recess shaped to receive the loop and beyond which the loop extends constructed and arranged to position the heel relatively to the loop, and a pair of toggles each carrying one of said members constructed and arranged to move the loop as a whole relatively to the gage as the members are moved to vary the flexure of the loop thereby insuring that the loop projects a substantially uniform distance beyond the gage.

30. A trimming machine having, in combination, a plurality of drums mounted for rotation, a band cutter carried by the drums and mounted for movement therewith, said cutter being constructed and arranged to engage each of the drums along a single continuous area, means to flex the cutter to form a floating bend portion thereof, a support having a face beyond which the bend portion of the cutter extends and constructed and arranged to position a work piece having a concave face to which a cover has been applied relatively to the bend portion of the cutter, said bend portion being constructed and arranged to skive the cover upon said face as the work piece positioned by the support is moved past the cutter, and mechanism constructed and arranged to move the cutter relatively to the gage to insure that the maximum projection of the cutter beyond the gage will be substantially constant as the curvature of the floating bend portion is changed.

31. A trimming machine having, in combination, a band cutter, rollers constructed and arranged to engage the cutter at spaced points to flex the cutter to form a floating bend portion thereof, and a support having a face beyond which the bend portion of the cutter extends and constructed and arranged to position a work piece having a concave face to which a cover has been applied relatively to the bend portion, said cutter being constructed and arranged to skive the cover upon said face as the work piece positioned by the support is moved past the cutter.

32. A trimming machine having, in combination, a band cutter, rollers constructed and arranged to engage the cutter at spaced pointsto flex the same to form a floating bend portion thereof, and a support having an opening for receiving the bend portion and constructed and arranged to position a work piece having a concave face upon which a cover has been laid relatively to the curved portion of the cutter, said cutter being constructed and arranged to skive the cover upon said face as the work piece positioned by the support is moved past the cutter.

33. In a trimming machine, a flexible cutter movable lengthwise of its cutting edge, two consecutive guiding devices arranged to maintain an intermediate portion of the cutter in the form of a loop which is deformable under pressure of a work piece, means to pull the cutter through one of the devices, means arranged to push the cutter through the other of said guiding devices with a force sufficient to maintain zero tension in said loop, and means to brace the loop against lateral displacement and to guide a work piece past the loop thereby to trim the same.

34. A trimming machine having, in combination, a band knife, means constructed and arranged to engage the knife at spaced points to form between said points of engagement an intermediate curved trimming portion constructed and arranged to trim a portion of a cover laid upon a heel, a gage for positioning the heel lengthwise of the trimming portion of the knife, and a support constructed and arranged to straddle the trimming portion of the knife and to engage spaced parts of the heel to limit movement of the same toward said trimming portion and to serve as a rest over which the heel in engagement with said gage is moved to guide the covered heel past said trimming portion.

CHARLES G. BROSTROM. 

